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PONDERING CORE ESSENCE
NUMENON |
Guest Dr. RC recently set amybaby22's current record for largest striped bass! This 38-incher easily slurped down a mackerel and provided a strong fight. I'm searching hard for an honest 40-incher, but making steady progress with 36- and 38-inchers in the last week. Right now, bait is abundant, bass are on the rocks, I'm on vacation, the family's in town, and life is good! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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I recently invested some hard-earned cash in a professionally guided, local fly-fishing trip for striped bass. While I know my local waters pretty well, catch my share of bass, am an occasional but reasonably competent fly-fisher, and have developed enough techniques to generally keep my bites coming, I thought this would be an opportunity to learn and grow. For instance: What is this professional's general approach to tackling the day? No important decisions (port, departure time) were finalized until the night before and based on the most recent intelligence. In a single word; Simplicity! The deck was clean, a few rods were rigged, and we used just three flies all day. With a foundation of experience and confidence built over the years, we didn't need much else. This captain prefers the incoming tide for shallow-feeding bass! The bass can explore new feeding areas over the course of the tide before becoming too dispersed. Existing channels and gutters provide routes for both boat and bass, and ongoing observation will help fine tune locations and presentations. In this skinny water, it is of paramount importance to keep the boat's engine and hull quiet. Don't push a wake, minimize hull slap, avoid other boats and traffic, etc. The fish are there; what are they eating? We started with a larger herring fly based on the possible presence of blueback herrings and the opportunity for offering the bass a big meal, but when that didn't work and we couldn't see the tiny bait the bass and birds were eating, we made a couple of changes. Be in a position to start the strip right away! Keep in contact with the line right from the end of the cast and get that fly moving, as many of the hits will occur right away. I missed my first fish because of this, but fortunately converted on the retrieve from this same cast. This lesson was already burned into my memory. Keep the rod tip in the water during the retrieve to maximize energy transmittal to the fly and to avoid line slap on the water's surface. I suspect this helps with strike detection and hook sets, too. This is a team effort; he could see a lot more from his vantage point than I. It was my job to listen and execute. What is his philosophy with respect to finding fish? With a few decades of chasing the stripers in this manner under his belt, he was confident that the bass were there. By carefully and quietly positioning us and then letting the birds lead the way to especially active areas, we did our best to stay over hunting fish. We used any visual cue we could; wakes, ripples, and refusals all helped shape the next cast. How did he keep the bite going over the course of the entire tide? We stayed with active fish by moving frequently! Some stops earned only a few casts before we were moving again. The captain was constantly watching for fish reactions and evaluating from there. We didn't lose much time over unproductive water, or at least water without offering the real promise of success. Based on the fish's reaction, he made some basic fly changes. We started with a big attractor, scaled down to a smaller, more subtle baitfish, and then offered a snack of a shrimp fly. What adjustments did he make and to what specific factors? I am sure I am unaware of most of these. I was focused on my casting, line control and retrievals. But this was clearly a game of reacting to the moment. First of all, we delayed our anticipated starting time by a couple of hours to avoid the ebb and maximize the flood. The early fog helped us with our late start, too. When the first attractor fly didn't work, he was quick to downsize and modify the color to something a little more muted. When this fly enjoyed some immediate success that morphed into obvious refusals, he quickly went to a shrimp pattern, especially with the increasingly sunny conditions. We ended the day with some carefree smaller bass in deeper water. These were revealed by active birds, and we fine-tuned their feeding lanes by using water seams to target likely casting areas. What was new to me? All of this took place on "new" water to me, east of the Cousins Island causeway. I'm always on the other side of that bridge. I certainly have the range to go around Cousins and explore these waters, though. My Garmin mapping will keep me in enough water to float the boat and follow the fish. Virtually all of my fly-fishing has been self-taught, and so receiving professional guidance while doing so was a positive experience. He offered a few small adjustments on the cast and for line handling. I was generally able to respond immediately and could see the benefit, and these changes quickly stuck! I was better at the end of the trip than I was at the beginning! I've always used Clousers and poppers while fly-fishing for stripers, and the shrimp pattern/presentation was new to me. I was surprised at how aggressively I was working that shrimp. Perhaps most importantly, this experience helped me build some confidence in shallow water, especially during bright conditions. We actualized our success in this scenario, and seeing/doing is believing! Plus, the captain admitted out loud, this is how he captures all his big fish. This is a certainly a technique worth learning and pursuing. What am I now equipped to become better at? My casting is fine, but my ability to consistently control the line immediately needs help; lots of fish strike at the end of the cast. I was able to work on this throughout the trip and will continue to do so. I'll get better as my ability to pickup, haul and shoot quickly improves. Again, practice will help. I apparently had a few bites where I saw and felt nothing. I need to keep in contact with the line! This will be natural outcome of better line management, in general. This trip just opened up a lot of water for me on both sides of the Cousins Island bridge! And I know I don't need to be exploring them just during low-light hours, so I can explore them whenever I choose to do so. Finally, I can do so with confidence, because I know it isn't a Wild Goose Chase; I will probably find some willing bass along the way. They might be nice ones, too! Other thoughts and tid-bits We kibitzed over the course of the trip, especially when moving from spot to spot. I learned quite a bit over the course of the morning, including the following: That Memorial Day/weekend bite on Broad Cove is an annual event that offers only a brief window of opportunity. Perhaps for three or four days, the cove is on fire, but then it switches off and many of the the bass go elsewhere. Speaking of Broad Cove, those terns over super-shallow water are picking up stranded bait and aren't worth chasing. The Presumpscot River hosts an alewife run. This is early in the season and he favors a pinch of yellow in his flies when fishing here. Alternatively, the Royal River hosts blueback herring, later (mid-June). These fish are darker, at least in this muddy water. Brit herring may or may not be Atlantic herring, but they are important, small bait. Arriving in May and staying and growing for much of the season, these are matched with simple flies from two to four inches, perhaps featuring blue backs. There's never anything wrong with olive-over-white, anytime, anywhere. A shrimp worked hard and fast over deep water produces too, as exemplified by the last few fish of the day. FYI, I was previously aware of this guide service, and I've run across him on common waters several times. In fact, we shared a local multi-day blitz a few weeks ago. My interest in this endeavor was piqued by a video I ran across this winter. He was guiding "The New Fly Fisher" out of my back yard, and I recognized many of the waters they fished over the course of a few fall days. Moreover, since they mentioned the dates of filming, I know exactly how I was fishing and what fish I was catching at that same time! I could argue that I was just doing fine for myself, but his simultaneous approach in the video was so different that I knew I was in a position to learn something and broaden my horizons. That something might prove to be useful at some point!?! Here's the service I used on this very pleasant and informative day: www.coastalflyangler.com. Captain Wallace was a pleasure to fish with and I definitely look forward to doing so again. A more detailed account of the day's specifics is located at www.numenonfunfishing.com/numenonfunfishing (June 27, 2023 entry.) Did I learn and will I grow? You bet! Oh, and so what do the pros know? They know they can do it! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways The Maritime skiff had enjoyed a long winter of pampered self-improvement. Her bottom was painted and a Minn Kota Terrova trolling motor was installed on her bow. Even the trailer was in tip-top shape as I topped off the tire pressure and verified full lighting functionality. By Easter Sunday 2023, she was ready to go, as was I! The weather was clear and bright, and A chose to join me. We were joined on Mousam Lake by at least one bald eagle and a couple of pairs of loons. We had the lake mostly to ourselves, and I even convinced four trout to eat, landing a couple of pretty browns to about 15 inches. We were surprised by some ice remaining on the lake. Fortunately, the ice bridge confining us to the southernmost portion of the lake broke up with some late-morning wind and sunshine. The north end was still totally locked in, and so I didn't get to fish the water I had thought about all winter. We still ended up having plenty of water to explore. Water temperatures were just 38 - 40 degrees F, and so the bite was marginal. Still, it was a rewarding trip to start the season, and pretty much problem-free. There's a lot to look forward to, and based on the performance of the trolling motor (including Spot-Lock), I've got a lot to look forward to in 2023. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways With the scheduled removal of the landing float for the season, I was forced to conclude the saltwater boating season. I pulled amybaby22 from the water on Monday, October 10, 2022. But, I made the most of my last weekend on Casco Bay! I fished earnestly and with intent on each day, and I executed pretty well. I landed 16 striped bass to 30 inches on 19 hookups, bringing my season's total to 203 stripers landed. While I didn't catch a truly large striped bass (by local measure and experience, let's say 40 inches), I sure caught a lot of really nice ones, including two 36-inchers and more "keepers" above 28 inches than I've probably handled in the rest of my life. I didn't encounter any real issues while out on the water this year, so I'd have to say my season was a success! Of course, my season is not necessarily over; I can always hit the beaches (near or far) and follow the annual run down the coast in pursuit of either big fish or numbers. I expect that amybaby22 will hit the sweet water in pursuit of trout before winter arrives, too, so there's still plenty of opportunity for good things to happen. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways It turns out that one of A's favorite things to do is just explore a new area for the day and share a good meal along the way. With a beautiful day on our hands, we recently tackled the Moosehead Lake Region (or at least a portion of it). This is about three hours from our home, and was new to both of us. My interest was largely in getting oriented to the available fishing for world-class brook trout and landlocked salmon, while A's was a bit broader and healthier to include scenery, camping, accommodations, etc. We drove straight to Greenville at the base of the lake. It was sleepy and slow before noon on a Sunday. We scoped out a potential lunch spot right on the lake, poked around the waterfront, and picked up some literature for Reel Moosehead Guide Service. I'd told A that I wanted to see a seven-pound brook trout ... and there might be one on the cover of their literature. Per their website reelmoosehead.com , a day of guided ice fishing for brook trout sounds like a good deal and certainly could happen in the future. We went up the lake's eastern shore to Lily Bay State Park. Here we found a couple of nice boat ramps and quiet tent-camping sites. It wasn't very busy, either, although we were probably in the hours between check-out and check-in. Still, it appeared to be spacious and rustic compared to other state's camping opportunities. I suspect we'll be back! From here it was about a 10 mile drive north to the Roach River and First Roach Pond. I've seen some beautiful pictures from this area, and the river seems to be about the "right" size for me. With restricted methods and seasons, as well as a big spawning push of Moosehead Lake fish in the fall, I definitely have some interest in returning here. Plus, I confirmed the First Pond boat ramp is functional, at least for amybaby22! I was a bit confused by access to the river; the lone, obvious public access point leads to a deep hole and appears to be unwadeable. But I think there might be a road/path behind the main "store" in Kokadjo on the north side of the river. We'll find out! This stretch also offered side trips to other bodies of water with some potential, including Sawyer Pond, Upper and Lower Wilson Ponds, and Prong Pond. Prong reportedly has brook trout, white perch and smallmouth bass, while Sawyer is shallow and stocked with brookies. I'm still looking for information on the Wilson chain of lakes. Maybe I'll have to rely on my own efforts to figure that out. I need to verify GPS coordinates to make sure my info is referring to this same Wilson Pond, but I found a blurb regarding the outlet, which reportedly features my style of fly fishing; swinging streamers. The source of the Kennebeck River from Moosehead's East Outlet has a mammoth reputation. The river here is broad and shallow, but with many rocks and rapids a few hundred yards downstream, moving around might be tougher than it looks. Still, this section reportedly offers room to move about and find one's own water during normal flow levels. Here, I also noted Wilson's on Moosehead Lake. Their website ( wilsonsonmooseheadlake.com ) provides a nice summary of lodging, fishing and accommodations. I've also picked up more than a few hints that the fishing in Indian Pond (downstream and fed by both the East and West Outlets) can be special, including for trophy smallmouth bass and fall-back trout. It looks like there are a couple of boat ramps on this long lake, too, that I will have to check out. West Outlet presented itself as deeper, and the braided channels form a pond not too far downstream from the access. The hole at the base of the dam is "famous" and while I'm not scaring up a lot of specific information for this access point, this area does generate a lot of attention. We proceeded north to the Rockwood boat launch facility and the view of Kineo Rock. This looked like an appealing trolling area to me! Our last stop was at the lower Moose River, near where it floes into Moosehead Lake. This was clearly boating water, but the area further upstream is a good tailwater fishery, and the trout and salmon here are described as "meat eaters". Again, that's my style; and if this stretch is wadeable, I'll have to give it a shot. In one short day, I discovered a lifetime of potential fishing. I'm sure I overlooked many opportunities, too. With the skiff, the Lund, some waders or a hired guide, I could spend any amount of time (a day or a week or more) trying to find a worthy brookie, salmon or togue. With A by my side keeping me grounded, the search will be more rewarding than any particular result. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways I had selected Megunticook Lake near Camden, Maine for the day's explorations with A. My intel was limited, but this certainly seemed to be a promising bass lake, while also offering a potential seasonal fishery for trout. Early in the season and with water temperatures in the low-to-mid forties, we targeted trout by trolling the shoreline break. After a quick start in which A's tandem trolling fly got grabbed and dropped by a drive-by, the "action" slowed to a crawl as we expanded our range in this totally new-to-us lake. Other than the lack of productive fishing action, all had gone well for the day. Nothing had been lost or broken, and nobody had been hurt. But the southerly wind was picking up, I was starting to struggle with boat control (keeping our speed down), and I was paying close attention to my GPS mapping. I was on unfamiliar water, and this rocky lake had plenty of navigational hazards. All seemed to be marked, either on the surface with buoys or labelled on my electronic map. I was amused that the labelled hazard we were approaching also had a name. Everything else on my map simply appeared as "Hazard", but this one was "The Fang". In my amusement, I mentioned this to A, and this released her quiet insecurities. We were never within a hundred yards of The Fang, and I had no intention of exploring water in its vicinity. We were still on the break and had an island between us and The Fang. But A, quite vocally, wanted to get further away from this and any other hazards. I, on the other hand, wanted to fish where I felt both safe and confident. A moment later, I tangled lines as I tried to add a short lead-core line to our presentation. I was also struggling with boat control while acknowledging that our weather window might close unexpectedly early. I was hangry to boot, and these frustrations all came out in an expression of anger. The day had taken a sour turn, and we both knew it. I did what I could; we pulled lines and relocated to a lee shoreline to explore another part of the lake. We did so for an hour or so, and A even had another pull on her fly. But when we were approaching a structure-choked narrows as the sky darkened and a cold rain was clearly imminent, we called for a premature end to the day's fishing. The rest of the day was pretty much fine, but A and I are best friends, and any friction between us is uncomfortable. We talked the day through the next morning, and we realized we both suffered from the same affliction, but from different perspectives. Simply put, by the time we approached The Fang, neither was totally present. I was already fretting about our lack of fishing success. That displeasure was exacerbated by my realization of a likely early end to our effort. I'd waited a long time for my chance at this lake, and it wasn't going to pan out the way I wanted. In my mind, this was yet another opportunity lost, and I resented the time it was going to take to capitalize on a future chance. I was feeling my mortality more than the moment at hand, and I was missing out. I was focused on good things, but specifically on their absence. I was neglecting to enjoy what the lake and A's company currently offered. Meanwhile, A was more concerned with any bad things that might possibly happen, as opposed to the current reality. Our collective experience and equipment was trumped, in her mind, by the potential tragedies associated with The Fang and other hazards. She too was dealing with imaginary negative events instead of the secure present, and her future focus precluded her current enjoyment. Well, at least we talked it out. And I'm glad we are smart enough to recognize the source of our tension. We have at least a chance of recognizing this more contemporaneously in the future, and maybe with a little practice, we can each get better at staying in the moment. Because that's where happiness can be found. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways I am too tired to write; I've got a lot going on! But, I do want to celebrate this fishing season. Here's a picture from each month of 2021 (so far; I may choose to update for November and December if anything noteworthy happens). It was difficult to choose a single "best" picture to represent a given month. I tried to balance the quality of the fish, picture composition and sharpness of the memory invoked. Others might have chosen differently. Oh, well. And, it's obvious to me that too many of my pictures look too similar, and that I need to get more people out there! It was a good season; while I didn't catch any truly large fish, I did catch piles of quality fish. Much of my time was spent on new-to-me water or learning new spots and techniques. I was outside a lot, and I had many encounters with wild creatures beyond fish; seals, eagles, dolphins, coyotes, foxes and more. Thank goodness for my ability to do so; and for those who support these efforts! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways From my new home waters in Falmouth Foreside, Maine down to new water in Duxbury, Massachusetts, I enjoyed my four-day weekend! In addition to Labor Day, I'd long ago scheduled myself to be "off" on Tuesday, with my mind on catching some more stripers! Each day treated me well and had its highlights. I encountered good numbers of fish with a variety of techniques, and scored my biggest striper and bluefish of the season. I caught my largest ever fly-rod striper, and enjoyed beautiful scenery and affable company. What else could I ask for? Of course, the details for each day are available (or soon will be!) under the "NumenonFunFishing" tab, above. Enjoy! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways 2021 has been a season of recovery... from the pandemic, the associated isolation, the generally "down" nature of 2020 and more. While virtually all of my 2021 fishing has been solo, I have gotten out a fair amount, and my recent relocation to Maine has reunited me with extended family, both boats and all my gear. I can be fishing within 15 minutes from my desk or bed; and that fishing has a lot of potential for me to unlock. I couldn't ask for more. Here, I'm just taking a breather and collecting some photos. Nothing outrageous (either good or bad) has happened in my 2021 fishing season so far, but I've had a lot of pleasant success. I've enjoyed just about every moment on the water and each and every fish I've encountered. Who knows what the second half of the season will bring; bigger stripers? Blues? Thirty-inch togue? An albie? I look forward to finding out! Enjoy! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways The entire family just spent a week or so in Maine. Folks converged from England, the Pacific Northwest, the mid-Atlantic and the Mountain West to re-unite for the first time in a couple of years or more. A new grand-niece was introduced to all for the first time, many meals were shared, and there was a fair amount of local beer and Casco Bay-side relaxation. A yellow Portland Pudgy tender ( portlandpudgy.com ) joined my fleet, and the Maritime skiff was finally moored at its very own location. Each performed their respective duties flawlessly. Nature was abundant, fishing for striped bass was better than decent, and the average fish landed (24 inches or so) was an excellent match to my light tackle. I was smart enough to pace myself, and I didn't unnecessarily burn myself out by fishing day and night. I took advantage of my easy access to the water when it made sense, and I made extra effort to invest my time in new methods, locations and techniques. I truly enjoyed my time on the water, and didn't feel as if I were trying to win an ephemeral race with access to Casco Bay stripers. With mackerel abundant for the first time in years, and these livies generally selecting for larger fish, I live-lined these baits more than I expected. My lure fishing suffered, and I was less efficient than usual. But the anticipation with each bait deployed was high, the majority of my mackerel were eaten, many of the strikes were visually dramatic, and I found success in several new areas. This was fun! Somehow, we managed to move into our new home during this same week. Since that new home is in Yarmouth, ten minutes from my mooring, I guess I'll have to get used to this. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
Steve LachanceVia Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Michigan and now, back to New England! Archives
June 2024
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